DD is 16 months. She is taking off her diaper (snap on pocket) when wet. She is wiggling it off. She does this as soon as she pees. She says "Die Die" which sounds a lot like "Dada" so I'm having a hard time picking up her verbal cues. She has not peed in the potty yet. (Because I'm not putting her on it) I think she is ready to start training but she isn't walking yet. She has mild muscle weakness on one side (the side of her body that she has seizures on). She crawls but drags that leg. She can pull herself up and is very close to walking.
I'm just not sure if I should try to potty train? How to go about it? I've showed her the sign for diaper as she uses a little sign language. She isn't very consistent with using it. She seems to understand what I'm saying most of the time but isn't very verbal. (She'll do what I ask her but not verbally respond or repeat) Should I just wait? Should I start letting her sit on the potty when I go?

** ps I'm not wanting to pressure her to potty train early but her constant removal of her diaper seems to indicate she *might* be ready to start. I'm not thinking that this will be full success in a short time... Just a beginning to familiarize her type of potty training. I'm in no rush! I'd love to hear how others have handled this! DH is wanting me to decide how to handle her taking off the diaper.

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Sahm married to a wonderful man who does the dishes with DS 11/18/02 and DD 7/11/11

If she is showing those indications I would probably start, just not rush/push, but it sounds like that's what you have in mind. I would start a non-walking toddler just like any other toddler...physically take them into the bathroom and sit them on the potty at intervals when they will like need to use it. To start with I would probably only do first thing in the morning, first thing after nap, and if she is signing diaper or grunting like she's about to fill it. I wouldn't worry about the not walking part too much yet, especially since you said that she is close. She will probably start walking before she is potty trained so I don't think it will be too much to worry about long term. If she starts having successes at those times and seems excited to use the potty then you can start taking her more often....one of my DDs wasn't walking when she started using the potty either....she would just crawl into the bathroom. I would take off her pants/diaper for her and sit her on the potty and she'd do her business. If you try the pottying and she's not into it I would probably just turn her diapers around backwards for now so she can't get them off and wait a bit longer.

I would research elimination communication. It is essentially what you would be doing with a non-walking toddler.

Good luck! My little guy with muscle weakness/didn't walk til 19 months didn't train consistently til 3.5 and he still has accidents. He isn't remotely close for nights.

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Kristen
Middle school teacher by day, super mom by night
Mommy to The Boss~2007, The Energizer Bunny~2009, and The Princess~2011
My kids are no longer in diapers, but somehow, my computer keeps finding its way back here...

She doesn't pee at night. She floods her diaper as soon as she wakes up. If she does pee at night, she will fuss at us to be changed. (My son was the same way. He didn't pee in his sleep as a baby or toddler. I'm lucky! He had maybe 3 night accidents from potty trained to age 5!)
So far she is not liking her potty chair. I think I'm going to buy her a more conventional one. We have one similar to the Baby Bjorn Smart potty. She has to straddle it and she won't sit for me or her Dad. He says he's is not going to take her anymore (when he goes) because the fact that he stands might confuse her. (*I told him to just sit down! LOL!)
****On a VERY happy side note. She stood up 5 or 6 times today without any help or using something to pull up. She even took a step before she fell! We are super excited! ***

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Sahm married to a wonderful man who does the dishes with DS 11/18/02 and DD 7/11/11

****On a VERY happy side note. She stood up 5 or 6 times today without any help or using something to pull up. She even took a step before she fell! We are super excited! ***

Woo-hoo!!!!!!!!! ***happy dance****

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Kristen
Middle school teacher by day, super mom by night
Mommy to The Boss~2007, The Energizer Bunny~2009, and The Princess~2011
My kids are no longer in diapers, but somehow, my computer keeps finding its way back here...